In large office, industrial, and school buildings it is often the case that large numbers of lights are kept illuminated for long periods, even when no one is present on a floor or in a stairwell. It is desirable to save both money and energy in the operation of the lighting systems in such structures. One way to accomplish that objective is to permit lights to remain off unless there is a present need for lighting as people use the building. It is well known, for example, to allow a light controller to turn off the lights in rest rooms when no one is using them. A motion sensor detects the entry of a person into the rest room and activates the lights while there is motion within the room. Once motion stops, indicating that the person has left, the lights are allowed to go off again until another person enters. This type of energy conservation is to be encouraged and is, in fact, often rewarded with incentive discounts in their rate structures by the companies providing power to large facilities.
The present invention addresses another way to control costs and energy consumption within a structure, using computer-controlled light controls to light stairways and other areas within the structure only as needed.